Maybe "new" isn't the appropriate word.
Sure, this pair of executives are new to the Arthur Murray Walnut Creek but they are definitely not new to the Arthur Murray Live executive team.
As one of the fastest growing locations in the world in 2011 and a studio that's ranked in the top 20 worldwide locations since it opened, Arthur Murray Walnut Creek is a studio with a lot of activity.
Which is why Sergio Garcia and Christina Mullen were invited to fill the two executive roles there.
After 9 nears as a successful instructor in Arthur Murray Redwood City, Sergio was named the Supervisor of Arthur Murray Livermore in 2017.
During his time there he helped to develop the advanced students and staff there. Combined with his co-executive Joey Sena, the pair helped Livermore achieve their highest end of year ranking since the school opened in 2008.
"When KP (Karen Prado) went on maternity leave, we needed someone to step into her shoes and direct the team, and Sergio was a natural choice" says Daisey Lynam.
After Karen opted to spend more time with her new baby, Sergio became an easy choice to fill the role that Karen had occupied for 8 years.
He now takes on the full time Supervisor role with no shortage of hard work, determination, and steady leadership. From Daisey's perspective, it's all been part of a special journey, "When we first took on ownership of Redwood City, Sergio had just begun his training. So I've seen him from the very, very beginning. He's the first to tell you that he was rough around the edges. Now he's a great dancer, teacher, and executive. It's great to see how we has grown but to see him helping others do the same is a joy to watch."
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Christina started her Arthur Murray career in the Portland-area studios and transferred to Arthur Murray San Francisco in 2016. In 2018 she was promoted to New Student Director in the Hayward location where she helped to train the staff and assist new students with their first dance programs at Arthur Murray.
According to Daisey, this was an essential move, "When Charlotte told us that she was going to pursue a different career, we had to fill that role with someone that was established and could jump in right away."
Which is important since Arthur Murray Walnut Creek has had one of the most active New Student departments in the company over the years.
"Christina is a natural connector, which is so important when it comes to our new student department. She knows how to make someone feel noticed and welcomed from the moment they walk in" says Daisey Lynam. "She subbed in for a few days and the team responded so well to her. It was a match."
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In addition to their new co-executive roles, Sergio and Christina are also competitive dance partners representing Northern California at many Arthur Murray competitions around the country.
So, technically speaking, this is a new executive team, but they are far from new at doing great work in their respective roles.
Photo credit: Richard Myers